1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to apparatus for capturing or snaring fleeing animals or persons. More specifically, the present invention pertains to capturing or snaring apparatus in which a bola is propelled by a specially designed gun for wrapping around the legs of an animal or person fleeing from the operator thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The typical bola is a weapon consisting of two or more stone or iron balls attached to the ends of a cord for hurling at an animal or a person, entangling the animal or person for capture thereof. Such weapons are limited by the skill and strength of the person hurling the bola.
In more recent times, bola capturing devices have been designed in which the bola is ballistically deployed by specially designed guns to capture a fleeing animal or person without injury thereto. Examples of such devices may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,559,737; 4,912,869 and 5,750,918. Although a number of bola type capturing devices have been developed, continued development, especially for capturing of fugitives without injury thereto, is desired.
The present invention comprises a modified shotgun having a barrel and stock. The purpose of the gun is to fire an approximately three ounce bola assembly which comprises a central plug from each side of which extends a cord and a weight member. The bola can be fired, fifty or sixty yards, to entangle the legs of a fleeing criminal, an elusive animal or the like. Attached to the gun, one on each side of the barrel and substantially parallel thereto, are a pair of elongated tubular members. The forward ends of the tubular members are open, a retainer assembly being disposed at the rearward end of each tubular member. Each of the retainer assemblies has a chamber in fluid communication, through a conduit and port in the gun barrel, with the interior of the gun barrel just forward of the end of a shell when the shell is properly placed in the gun barrel. A guide assembly is attached to the forward end of the gun barrel and provided with a tube coaxially aligned therewith and on each side of which are outwardly extending guides.
The central plug of the bola assembly is insertable into the central tube of the guide assembly and each of the weight members is releasably engageable with a respective one of the retainer assemblies, the cords of the bola assembly then engaging a corresponding one of the guides. The firing of a shell in the gun barrel creates gasses which are directed to the chambers activating the retainer assemblies and releasing the weight members. At substantially the same time, the central plug of the bola assembly is struck by a rubber slug, propelling the bola plug from the central tube and the weight members from the elongated tubular members causing the bola cords to wrap around any fleeing animal or person in their path.
The gun portion of the apparatus of the present invention can be easily made by modifying a conventional shotgun. The tubular members, retainer assemblies and guide assembly are attached to the modified shotgun providing an easy to load and operate apparatus which is extremely accurate and effective in its purpose.
While the primary objects and advantages of the invention have been stated, many other objects and advantages will be apparent from reading the specification which follows in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.